A large number of manufactured gas plants (MGPs) exist throughout the United States. Coal-tar is an omnipresent by-product of the manufacturing process at MGPs. The coal-tar has often been allowed to remain on site in coal-tar pits, gas holders, or tar wells, or is otherwise dumped nearby and then allowed to commingle with heterogenous substrate of soil, organic material and other debris. The coal-tar presents itself in the form of a thick highly viscous substance containing very high concentrations of organic chemicals, some of which are either proven or suspected of being carcinogenic in humans. Often such coal-tar deposits are hazardous wastes which must be disposed of at great expense.
When a coal-tar deposit is allowed to sit on-site, it has the potential to become admixed with sand, rock, wood, soil, metals and any other debris present at or below the surface. It is this coal-tar commingled debris that creates a significant, difficult and expensive materials management problem. Purer coal-tar deposits can be cleaned up laboriously by collecting and incinerating the coal-tar from the contaminated area. However, such method is very expensive and leaves large excavated expanses which require new fill, adding to the clean-up expense.
The clean-up process is further complicated when the coal-tar has contaminated and is commingled with e.g. sand, rock, gravel, soil, metals, wood, etc.
It is the principal feature of this invention to provide a simplified and inexpensive method of cleaning up coal-tar contaminated debris thereby detoxifying a site contaminated by coal-tar.